At the beginning of last year, in fact on New Years Day last year, I started my path to Zen. The most simple of home truths occurred to me and I realised that Zen (and happiness and contentment that go with it) was in the most basic of things that we sometimes miss because they are so arb.
Just putting on a favourite song, or smelling something divine, or laughing at a stupid ad on TV was all it took to connect to my Zen, and to cheer me up.
It was a small realisation, but it was also a huge one. Because, that little realisation started me on one of the most tricky and awkward ‘growing up’ stages I’ve had in my adult life. Yes, I know there will be loads more of those ahead, but the time from the beginning of 2008 to now has seen some huge change in my life, and I would need the clarity and peace that that Zen awareness would bring.
Fast forward to the first month of being 29, and that little Zen realisation has evolved into a slow but steady peace. I’ve learned how to drive, launched and crashed my solo career, healed some of the deepest cuts, lost my mojo and found it again, lost friends and made friends, laughed, cried, bled and learned some of the toughest lessons ever. There were times that I doubted myself, and times I even almost hated myself. And other times I was so proud of myself, I felt like I was capable of anything.
Ultimately, I realised something extremely important – it was all right there all along, right in front of me, but I was too busy focusing on what I should have, or didn’t have, or would’ve had, that I couldn’t quite see that I was actually doing just fine, with exactly what I DID have.
That feeling I started out with way back when I first got the Zen connection has slowly been returning this year, and finally I feel that same sense of contentment. I finally understood that lame ass saying about learning to dance in the rain instead of braving the storms.
So, it was kinda fortunate and cool that I was given a really cool little book for my birthday called A Thousand Paths to Zen, which has a thousand thoughts on Zen. It came at the right time, and it’s been the source of much inspiration and more than a few giggles lately.
Here are some of my favourites…
If you find yourself on a path to Zen be assured that you are going in the wrong direction.
In Zen there are no bad days. Every day is a good day.
Use all the muck in your life to fertilize your flowers.
Nirvana is a gloomy Monday in January, when the car’s broken down and the bus is late.
Zen is not a religion. If you took Zen and ripped out its guts, what is left would be a religion.
You are enlightened already. Now you just need to know it.
Maybe I’m growing up, or maybe my path to Zen is finally heading in a good direction. I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s an awesome thing to be happy with what you have in this very moment, and real content isn’t about things being super amazingly fantastic… it’s about feeling glad.
I’m glad, and things are okay. And quite honestly? That’s all we ever really need to be.
i love that book as well -often read a few random pages in the morning before things start – you should read what i think about when i think about running now.
I actually have started reading it, very cool – I love the way he thinks, it’s just like his stories. I think I’m going to keep my Zen book in my handbag… nice to take out when the need hits.
On a completely different note… thought you might enjoy reading about this… http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200905121035.html
the thing that i really enjoyed about it was that his insights were entwined with his passions – be it writing, running or music.
i actually thought that it’s pretty cool to write about music again when i read that book.
also he talks about running while listening his favourite band the lovin’ spoonful – and how he needs physical activity for his insights to become real – i always think about that when i’m at gym – for me it’s belle and sebastian and the rowing machine.
a rich appreciate of life is so easy but people are too distracted to begin to live ‘right’
@302 – I think Murakami is a Zen follower of note, he understands about the little things… the base notes as such.
@Champs – Phew, somehow, insane as the idea of aid workers also shipping out arms and whatnot is, it doesn’t surprise me at all. Such a complex, corrupt world we live in… sjoe. By the way, my mom lent me a very interesting book on DRC’s Mobutu – lot of history about the King Leopold days, and some very interesting background. It’s by Michaela Wrong, and it’s called In The Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz – look out for it!